Jack N. Green, ASC, connects with AC via Skype to discuss his work on Clint Eastwood’s acclaimed Western Unforgiven. Touching on his three-decade collaboration with Eastwood, Green discusses several aspects of the project, including the decision to shoot in Alberta, Canada; how he worked with production designer Henry Bumstead to develop a period-correct lighting scheme and muted color palette; the importance of shooting anamorphic; and what it’s like to collaborate with a director who is also the star.

Shortly after wrapping the series finale of Mad Men last summer, Christopher Manley, ASC, sat down with AC to discuss his work on the show. He shares what he learned from taking some turns in the director’s chair, explains the production’s transition to digital capture, and discusses his unique collaboration with Phil Abraham, who shot the pilot and moved on to direct many episodes of the series.

Cinematographer Tat Radcliffe connects with AC via Skype to discuss the gritty period thriller ’71, which he calls “a political piece, a documentary piece and a psychodrama.” Radcliffe details the filmmakers’ desire to achieve “a level of raggedness” that suited the suspense, how they integrated Super 16 and digital capture, and how they gave the extensive night exteriors an appropriately “hellish” feel.

Russ Alsobrook, ASC, discusses his approach to the drama Black or White, in which a grieving widower struggles to retain custody of his young granddaughter in the wake of his wife’s death. Alsobrook explains why the filmmakers made last-minute decisions to go digital and to shoot widescreen, how they made the most of the 2.40:1 frame, and how he used lighting to illuminate the story’s complicated emotional terrain.

Cinematographer John Bailey, ASC, discusses his work on the acclaimed drama Ordinary People, which marked Robert Redford’s directorial debut and was one of Bailey’s earliest feature credits. Bailey discusses how Redford, then at the peak of his acting career, came to choose him for the project, how the seemingly disparate styles of Vittorio Storaro and Gordon Willis influenced his work on the picture, and how he approached scenes in the most important set — a strategy that led, many years later, to his landing the job shooting In the Line of Fire for Wolfgang Petersen.

AC correspondent Iain Stasukevich surveys the scene at the 22nd annual Camerimage International Film Festival in Bydgoszcz, Poland. One of the largest gatherings of cinematographers in the world, Camerimage features several categories of competition, honors select filmmakers for their career achievements, includes seminars and panel discussions, and showcases some of the latest cinematography equipment. Featured in this podcast are cinematographer Michael Neubauer, BVK; director David Scott Smith; Phil Greenstreet of Rosco Laboratories; Sarah Priestnall of Codex; Mike Hibarger of Panavision; and AC correspondents Benjamin Bergery and David Heuring.

Michael Seresin, BSC, connects with AC via Skype to revisit his work on Alan Parker’s Angel Heart, a dark, atmospheric thriller that has gained iconic status in cinematography circles since its theatrical release in 1987. Sharing several anecdotes about the shoot, Seresin reveals how an early wardrobe test for lead actor Mickey Rourke became one of the film’s signature images, how he captured one of Robert De Niro’s most memorable scenes, and how he approached the infamous, blood-drenched sex scene that leads to the story’s denouement.

To mark the 20th anniversary of the release of The Crow, we asked cinematographer Dariusz Wolski, ASC, to revisit his work on the film, which helped launch his and director Alex Proyas’ careers in Hollywood. Wolski explains how he and his collaborators worked with a “shoestring” budget to create the picture’s now iconic look, which is marked by an expressionistic use of light and shadow and a unique desaturated palette punctuated with boldly colored flashbacks. Wolski says, “We were trying to find a new look — not new, really, but a response to what was going on in cinema at the time.” He also discusses how the filmmakers approached some scenes after lead actor Brandon Lee died in an accident on set.

Director of photography Marvin V. Rush, ASC, describes his work on Hell on Wheels, a drama set in the aftermath of the Civil War that is currently in its fourth season on AMC. Among the topics he discusses are the importance of embracing the natural world in his overall approach to the show, which is shot on location in Alberta, Canada; how MacTech LEDs have transformed his day-interior lighting; why he prefers to reserve the close-up for important storytelling moments; and how he approached directing an episode for the first time.

Cinematographer Ron Garcia, ASC, recalls shooting the Twin Peaks pilot for director David Lynch. He discusses why he was an unlikely choice for the project, how he coaxed the desired warm tones out of his Fuji negative, and the importance of working with a great gaffer.

Director of photography Michael Seresin, BSC, discusses the new film Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, detailing how he and director Matt Reeves strove to bring “a film aesthetic” to the native 3-D digital production. Among the topics Seresin covers are the challenges presented by the short prep, why he chose Leica lenses, his collaboration with the seasoned visual-effects crew from Weta, and how he matched disparate light in Vancouver and New Orleans.

Cinematographer Goert Giltay, NSC, and director Jos Stelling join American Cinematographer’s Iain Stasukevich on a Skype call from the Netherlands to discuss their approach to the drama The Girl and Death. The longtime collaborators cover the choice of shooting digitally with an Arri Alexa, how they achieved the expressionistic visuals, and the flexible lighting approach that was necessitated by the actors’ availability.

Cinematographer Trent Opaloch talks with American Cinematographer’s Iain Stasukevich about his work on Captain America: The Winter Soldier, describing in detail the nuts and bolts of lighting, managing and scheduling this mammoth production, as well as how his work on District 9 and Elysium influenced this film.

American Cinematographer’s Iain Stasukevich talks with cinematographer Jost Vacano, ASC about his work on the 1987 film, Robocop directed by Paul Verhoeven. They breakdown his visual approach to the film and discuss his custom-built handheld camera rig.

American Cinematographer’s Iain Stasukevich talks with cinematographer Philippe Le Sourd, AFC about filming Kar Wai Wong’s martial arts extravaganza The Grandmaster. They discuss how the project morphed over its 3 years of production in China, as well as his creative collaboration with the director.

American Cinematographer’s Jim Hemphill speaks with John Schwartzman, ASC about his work on the modestly budgeted character-driven movie, Saving Mr. Banks, discussing the choice to shoot on film and how they recreated 1960s Los Angeles using no digital mattes or effects.

American Cinematographer’s Iain Stasukevich talks with cinematographer Elliot Davis about his work on Man of Tai Chi. They discuss shooting in China, working with director Keanu Reeves’ and his approach to shooting a commercial martial arts film, as well as Davis’ views on film vs. digital.

American Cinematographer’s Jim Hemphill talks with Nebraska cinematographer Phedon Papamichael, ASC about working with Alexander Payne, the benefits of shooting B&W in a digital age and shooting a road movie in real locations with many local actors.

American Cinematographer’s Jim Hemphill speaks with Riddick cinematographer David Eggby, ACS about returning to the Pitch Black franchise and reuniting with director David Twohy to create a gritty, side-lit and contrasty atmosphere on a film with budget issues.

American Cinematographer’s Jim Hemphill talks with The Conjuring cinematographer John R. Leonetti, ASC about creating an ultra-realistic feeling by shooting the set as is it were a location they did not pull walls and used practical lighting as much as possible. He also discusses how their frequent use of a wide angle lens enhanced the audience’s feeling of tension and unease.

American Cinematographer’s Iain Stasukevich speaks with Game of Thrones cinematographer Robert McLachlan about working on this massive production. This episode acts as a commentary track for Episode 9 of Season 3, including the infamous Red Wedding scene.

American Cinematographer’s Jim Hemphill chats with Pain and Gain cinematographer Ben Seresin, ASC, BSC about working with energetic director Michael Bay — they often shot 60-90 setups a day and used over 20 different cameras for various effects.

American Cinematographer’s Jim Hemphill talks with Between Us cinematographer Nancy Schreiber, ASC and writer/director Dan Mirvish about the challenges of shooting this polished drama with a micro budget and many volunteer crew members.

American Cinematographer’s Iain Stasukevich speaks with cinematographers John Toll, ASC and Frank Griebe about the Wachowski sibling’s feature, Cloud Atlas; and how they collaborated on the look of this complicated production shot in multiple countries.

American Cinematographer’s Jim Hemphill talks with cinematographer Russell Carpenter, ASC and director Joshua Michael Stern about creating three distinct looks, on a tight budget, for each time period in this biopic about Apple founder Steve Jobs.

American Cinematographer’s Iain Stasukevich speaks with cinematographer Norm Li, CSC, and director Panos Cosmatos about their collaboration on Beyond the Black Rainbow, a stylish low budget sci fi thriller, they discuss the films they turned to for inspiration as well as their decision to shoot 2-perf 35mm film instead of digital or other formats.

American Cinematographer’s Jim Hemphill talks with Shane Hurlbut, ASC about Deadfall and his choice of mixing film capture with additional DSLR cameras, the effects of combining formats on workflow, and how he selects the best equipment for each film.

American Cinematographer’s Jim Hemphill speaks with Claudio Miranda, ASC about his work on Ang Lee’s Life of Pi, discussing the unique challenges of shooting digital 3D on this film, set mostly on the open ocean — and how they kept it visually engaging.

American Cinematographer’s Iain Stasukevich talks with Peter Deming, ASC about playing with and against traditional horror cliches in the Joss Whedon-produced film, Cabin in the Woods, as well as working with directors Lynch, Raimi and Craven.

Director Mikael Salomon, ASC and cinematographer Ben Nott, ACS speak with American Cinematographer’s Jim Hemphill about the A&E Miniseries Coma: how former cinematographer Salomon approaches directing, and how they got the most out of a tiny budget.

American Cinematographer’s Jim Hemphill talks with director Bart Layton and cinematographer Erik Wilson about the art of creating dramatic, cinematic reenactments in the context of a documentary as well as having two different cinematographers on the film

American Cinematographer’s Jim Hemphill talks with Frank Barrera about his collaboration with actor and first-time director Patrick Wang to create a restrained and effective look for this very low budget Indie film, as well as their visual influences.

American Cinematographer’s Iain Stasukevich talks with Sean Bobbitt, BSC about his work on filmmaker Steve McQueen’s independent film, Shame, covering the film’s visual style, and how trust on the set was essential with the film’s difficult subject matter.

Alex Vendler talks with American Cinematographer’s Jim Hemphill about shooting The Woman, an independent feature which made a splash at Sundance, and discusses getting the most out of a small budget as well as his creative collaboration with Lucky McK

Oliver Stapleton, BSC speaks with American Cinematographer’s Jim Hemphill about Guillermo del Toro’s production of Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark, why he prefers to capture on film, working with first-time directors and planning for visual effects.

American Cinematographer’s Iain Stasukevich goes on location to speak with Fred Murphy about lighting the television series The Good Wife, about becoming comfortable with digital capture and about what makes a good cinematographer.

Chris Menges, ASC, BSC speaks with American Cinematographer’s Jim Hemphill about Stephen Daldry’s Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close and how he shot and lit the film to make it easier for first-time child actor Thomas Horn to focus on his performance.

Checco Varese, ASC, AMC talks with American Cinematographer’s Jim Hemphill about filming Renny Harlin’s 5 Days of War in the Georgian Republic, about working with the Georgian military to stage a massive military attack and his use of an early RED camera.

American Cinematographer’s Jean Oppenheimer hosts a wide-ranging discussion with Conrad Hall, Jr. about the challenges and happy accidents of shooting OKA! in a remote pygmy village in Africa with limited equipment and using locals as actors and crew.

American Cinematographer’s Jean Oppenheimer speaks with Amy Vincent, ASC, cinematographer of the 2011 release of Footloose, discussing how the film’s dance sequences advance the story, how she collaborated with hair and makeup to create the ‘look’ for Julianne Hough, and about her repeated collaborations with Craig Brewer.

In part one, Michael Slovis, ASC talks with American Cinematographer’s Iain Stasukevich about how the supportive and collaborative team, from the network through to the crew, work together to capture the New Mexican landscape with a cinematic flair.

American Cinematographer’s Iain Stasukevich goes on location to Berlinale 2011 and speaks to: Wim Wenders about using 3-D on his documentary, Pina; Guy Maddin about his use of found footage; and Przemyslaw Wojcieszek about the look of Made.

American Cinematographer’s Iain Stasukevich sits with Eduard Grau, cinematographer of Buried, discussing the creative and technical challenges of setting the entire film within the constraints of a coffin, as well as the decision to shoot film over video.

American Cinematographer’s Iain Stasukevich talks with Rabbit Hole director John Cameron Mitchell and cinematographer Frank DeMarco about using the Red camera, shooting with older lenses and filming unobtrusively for great performances from the cast.

American Cinematographer’s Jim Hemphill interviews director Nicolas Winding Refn about how shooting Valhalla Rising in the remote Scottish Highlands impacted his creative vision, and he discusses using the Red camera with cinematographer Morten Søborg.

Edward Lachman, ASC talks with American Cinematographer’s Iain Stasukevich about the concepts behind visualizing the works of artists like Bob Dylan and Allen Ginsberg, particularly regarding his work on the recent film, Howl.

Phedon Papamichael, ASC talks with American Cinematographer’s Jim Hemphill about the complexities of shooting the big budget, effects-filled Tom Cruise movie, Knight and Day, comparing this large and highly technical shoot with some his previous, smaller films.

John Bartley, ASC talks with American Cinematographer’s Iain Stasukevich about his work on the J.J. Abram’s television series Lost — including the peculiarities of shooting on location in Hawaii and working a show with multiple cinematographers.

Russell Carpenter, ASC discusses using a digital anamorphic camera, mixing film and digital on effects shots and the complexities of shooting the action comedy Killers with American Cinematographer’s Jim Hemphill.

Steven Fierberg, ASC speaks with American Cinematographer’s Iain Stasukevich about setting the look for HBO’s series How To Make It In America on location in New York, his career in New York’s lower East side and choosing digital or photochemical.

Cinematographer Peter Biagi talks with American Cinematographer about shooting the 2009 feature Under New Management about maintaining a career in the Chicago area, shooting on location in New York and working as a camera operator for Robert Altman.

Stephen Goldblatt, ASC, BSC, cinematographer of Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief, talks with Jim Hemphill about shooting this digital effects extravaganza on a limited budget, and the increasing presence of digital tools in production.

Cinematographer Barry Markowitz, ASC talks with American Cinematographer’s Iain Stasukevich about his work on the film, Crazy Heart, discussing working with actor/directors, shooting this low budget film on location and working with actor Jeff Bridges.

Cinematographer Peter Zeitlinger and filmmaker Werner Herzog talk with American Cinematographer’s Iain Stasukevich about Herzog’s unique shooting style, and how his freestyle approach fosters great performances and requires much flexibility from the crew.

Rodney Taylor, ASC, cinematographer of That Evening Sun, talks with AC’s Jim Hemphill about shooting a low-budget anamorphic feature on location and finishing using old school photochemical techniques.

Lance Acord, ASC, cinematographer of Where the Wild Things Are, continues his conversation with fellow ASC member Rodney Taylor, focusing on his career and the art scene in Los Angeles and San Francisco in the 80s.

Lance Acord, ASC, cinematographer of Spike Jonze’ adaptation of Maurice Sendak’s Where the Wild Things Are, discusses the creative underpinnings of this film and the techniques he used to tackle its artistic challenges with fellow ASC member Rodney Taylor.

Cinematographer Mihai Malaimare Jr. speaks with American Cinematographer’s Jim Hemphill about his work on Francis Ford Coppola’s film Tetro, delving into the specifics of the film’s unique visual style, shooting on location in Argentina, and his experiences shooting High Definition Video.

Owen Roizman, ASC chats about his lighting aesthetic, reveals his technique for flashing film stock and shares anecdotes from the set of the 1974 version of The Taking of Pelham One Two Three with fellow ASC member Rodney Taylor.

Newton Thomas Sigel, ASC, cinematographer of Valkyrie, speaks with American Cinematographer’s Jon Silberg about the film stocks, lens and digital intermediate processes that created the look of the film as well as the impact of Tom Cruise signing on to what had originally been a small and low-budget project.

Cinematographer Matthew Leonetti, ASC and visual effects supervisor Richard Edlund, ASC sits down with American Cinematographer’s Iain Stasukevich to discuss some of the classic techniques on display in the 1982 film Poltergeist.

Wally Pfister, ASC discusses working on The Dark Knight, the use of IMAX and shooting single camera, as well as his long term working relationship with Christopher Nolan in this interview with fellow cinematographer Daryn Okada, ASC.

Part 2 of a wide-ranging interview with Stephen Pizzello, Alik Sakharov, ASC, the main director of photography on HBO’s The Sopranos, reveals secrets about the show’s controversial ending and offers an in-depth overview of his work on the series.

Part 1 of a wide-ranging interview with Stephen Pizzello, Alik Sakharov, ASC, the main director of photography on HBO’s The Sopranos, reveals secrets about the show’s controversial ending and offers an in-depth overview of his work on the series.